HEAYY RAINFALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17251, 29 August 1919, Page 6

HEAYY R AINFALL.

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR. CITY PREMISES FLOODED. LITTLE DAMAGE SUSTAINED. The fine weather that had prevailed in Auckland since the beginning of the present month was broken early yesterday morning. On Wednesday night there were signs that a heavy storm was brewing. Towards midnight the sky became heavily overcast, and the wind, which had blown steadily from the north-east during the day, increased in violence: Shortly; after 3 a.m. veiy severe squalls were experienced, followed by a heaw downpour, and rain fell steadily till noon. At about mid-day yesterday the rainfall became heavier, and shortly before 2 p.m. a torrential downpour occurred. The water channels of all the side street* draining into Queen Street for a period became miniature torrents, while in the steeper thoroughfares, such as Victoria Street, the force of the streams was sufficient to sweep loose metal down the street. The storm-water drains at the bottom of Queen Street proved unequal to carrying away the flood waters, and many of the collars of buildings between Wyndham Street and Customs Street became more or less flooded. Fortunately, the extremely heavy downpour was of brief duration, and little damage was done, though a quantity of silt was deposited in some of the premises near the waterfront. The. fact that the tide was low when the downpour occurred is said to 'mve prevented the flood waters from backing up to a greater extent than they did near the waterfront. One businessman within the flooded area, who has suffered through previous downpours, remarked that if the tide had been full he was certain that much more extensive flooding would have occurred. In one Queen : Street office the blocking of the gutter caused a considerable influx of water into the building, and the saturation of a large number of books and documents. Experiences is the Suburbs, The downpour was also severe in the suburbs. In Devonport the streets were completely covered with water and for a time were impassable for traffic. At Mount Eden and Edendale many of the streets were temporarily flooded and the depressions in the unoccupied areas of the district were converted into miniature lakes. The rain continued steadily during most of the afternoon but toward evening the clouds broke and the sky was fairly clear at dusk. The heavy rain affected work on the waterfront very considerably. Unloading had in many cases to be suspended and in a few instances painting and repair work was temporarily delayed. Although a fair sea was running in the,harbour in the morning the water became calmer towards evening, when the wind changed from north-east to west, and little delay to coastal vessels was occasioned. Rainfall During the Month. Up till yesterday August had been a r articularly dry month, only about an inch having fallen during the 27 days of the month. The total fall for the month, up to y a.m. yesterday, as recorded at the Albert Park Observatory, was 1.09 inches. The fall for the 24 hours ended at midnight last night, as registered by the Heraid gauge, was 1-32 inches. The average rainfall for August is 4.13 inches. Last August the regiser was 3.52 inches. August, 1917, with 7.70 inches, and August, 1916, with 10.36 inches, had two of the highest totals for this monthIn August, 1914, the record low total of I.lb inches was recorded. The highest fall for the month was that of 10.56 inches in August, 1870. The following forecast was issued by Mr. Clement L. Wragge at 9- p-m. yesterday : —lt appears that the new disturbance, "Lithad," is travelling rapidly, having developed a large extension or tongue into the lower latitudes of the Tasmau Sea. It has already affected most parts of the Dominion, is now off the East Coast, and the barometer is slowly rising in its rear. Although the weather* is temporarily fine to-night, conditions remain very unsettled, and further rain and electrical disturbances, is likely as the wind 1 veers through north to north-west, west, and ultimately south-west. Rough seasThe total rainfall so far under this disturbance is 1.075 inches. I